Leveson Inquiry to pin down Salmond on phone hacking

ALEX Salmond will today be forced to tell the Leveson Inquiry in London if he was the victim of telephone hacking.

The First Minister invited the News Corp boss to tea at his official residence in April []

The First Minister will also have to answer questions over his relationship with News International boss Rupert Murdoch and his apparent role as a “lobbyist” during the tycoon’s failed takeover of BSkyB last year.

Mr Salmond has refused three times to answer questions at Holyrood on whether his phone has been hacked, insisting the Leveson Inquiry is the “appropriate forum” in which to do so.

He has been criticised for maintaining his close relationship with Mr Murdoch, owner of The Sun and News of the World, even after the latter newspaper was shut down last year over the hacking scandal.

The First Minister’s appearance at the Leveson Inquiry will offer an opportunity to set the record straight on his involvement with News International

Scottish Labour’s Business Manager at Holyrood Paul Martin

The Australian-born media magnate, who now has an American passport, tweeted in February that Mr Salmond was the “most brilliant politician in the UK” and that Scotland should be independent.

The First Minister invited the News Corp boss to tea at his official residence, Bute House in Edinburgh, in April, and has been accused of supporting the BSkyB takeover bid in return for the backing of Mr Murdoch’s newspapers during the SNP-led campaign to separate Scotland from the rest of the UK.

At the time of the potential takeover, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt was in charge of deciding whether to allow News Corporation’s £8billion bid for full control of BSkyB to go ahead.

After meeting Geoff Aberdein, one of Mr Salmond’s special advisers, in February 2011, News Corp lobbyist Fred Michel emailed Mr Murdoch’s son James to say: “I met with Alex Salmond’s adviser today.

“He will call Hunt whenever we need him.”

Scottish Labour’s Business Manager at Holyrood, Paul Martin, said yesterday: “The First Minister’s appearance at the Leveson Inquiry will offer an opportunity to set the record straight on his involvement with News International. It should reveal whether his own phone was hacked by the news organisation run by his friend and supporter Rupert Murdoch, and explain what role his advisers played in lobbying UK Government ministers over the BSkyB deal.

“Now the First Minister has no hiding place.

“Alex Salmond must give us the full story.”

Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson said Mr Salmond had “ducked and dived” on the issue and it was now time for full disclosure.

She added: “The people of Scotland deserve to know to what extent Alex Salmond hawked himself around as a lobbyist on behalf of the Murdoch empire in return for political favours.”

A spokesman for Mr Salmond said: “The First Minister will be delighted to set out his views at the Leveson inquiry, and answer any and all questions asked.”

It emerged yesterday that the Rangers FC manager Ally McCoist had his phone messages hacked by the News of The World.